C++ : Java Glossary

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C++

The forefather of Java. You can call C++ routines from Java via native method calls. I learned C++ before Java. Much of my trouble at the beginning came from presuming they worked the same way just because they look similar.

Differences	Redistributables
Microsoft C++ Keywords	Costs
Microsoft C++ sizeof	Books
C/C++ Header Libraries	Links
Compiling

Differences between C++ and Java

Learning Java is much like learning a foreign language. The sooner you start learning to think in the language, rather than think in your native language (C++) and translating, the better command of the language you develop. This is even truer of Java than most other computer languages because Java is so strongly idiomatic. There are canned ways of doing almost everything. You build very little from scratch from the primitive elements.

Java superficially looks a lot like C++, but nearly all my trouble learning Java came from presuming it should work the same as C++ or should have buried somewhere some feature I used in C++. It works quite differently inside and has a completely different design philosophy. The rule of thumb is, don’t presume Java works the same as C++ just because the syntax looks the same. Java is a bit like an angler fish that dangles a C++ syntax lure to seduce C++ programmers into trying Java (for their own good, of course), but it works at a higher level of abstraction.

The major differences between C++ and Java are:

An array of objects in C++ is a typically a set of structs packed one right after the other in RAM (Random Access Memory). In Java, it is an array of pointers (aka references). The pointers each point to an Object floating independently out there on the heap somewhere.
In Java, the sizes of int, long etc. are rigidly defined in terms of bits. In C++ they are platform-dependent.
In Java, the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) behaves at if it were big endian, even if internally it is actually little-endian. In C++, the endianness is platform dependent.
In Java, the choice of stack of heap allocation is handled automatically by the compiler (Sun’s javac is not very bright always using the heap for objects, and the stack for local primitives and references) and garbage collection of unreferenced objects is automatic. In C++, you have manual control over where objects are created. The lifetime of objects created on the stack is automatically controlled, deallocation and destructor automatically called when the method exits; this is known as deterministic destruction. Whereas you have to manually control the lifetime of dynamic objects allocated with new by invoking the destructor.
In Java you don’t know for sure that all finalizers will be run; in C++ you do, because you invoke the destructors manually. You could write manually invoked destructors in Java, but they would still not immediately recover the RAM.
In Java, references are constrained to point only to the beginnings of objects. You cannot do any form of arithmetic on them. All you can do is compare them for equality. In C++, you can do arithmetic on pointers and make pointers point anywhere in the address space. In Java, there is only one way to address an object, via a reference which always points to the start of the object (or more precisely to the start of the roughly 16 bytes of housekeeping fields preceding an object). In C++ there are many ways to address an object, including directly, via pointer arithmetic into the middle of the object, via pointer, via address. In Java there is one addressing operator .. In C++, you use . & * -> [].
In Java, you cannot overload operators. In C++, you can.
In Java, by default methods are virtual (overrideable). In C++, by default, methods are non-virtual.
Java object code (class files containing JVM byte codes) will run unmodified on any platform that supports the JVM. C++ object code must be first linked to produce an executable containing platform-specific machine instructions. It will run only on one platform.
Java checks all subscripts that they are in bounds and all casts for validity. C++ does not.
Java requires a JVM to execute. C++ programs are usually freestanding.
Java does not use a preprocessor. C makes extensive use of a macro preprocessor. C++ tends to use inline functions with less use of the macro preprocessor.
Java does not allow multiple inheritance, though a class may implement several interfaces. C++ supports multiple inheritance.
Java generics are a purely compile time type checking mechanism with type erasure at run time. C++ generics are templates, more like macro expansions of the code for each type.
Java has built-in threads and synchronization. C++ relies on platform-specific user-written thread libraries.
Java has a vast standard library set, including AWT (Advanced Windowing Toolkit) and Swing. C++ has a relatively modest standard set of methods, and relies on platform-specific GUI (Graphic User Interface) libraries.
Java does not let you embed assembler or platform-dependent code. C++ lets you embed machine code assembler and have full access to the native platform API (Application Programming Interface).
In Java, only one type of data can be stored in any variable. In C++, you can have unions where alternate types of data are stored in the same slot in a struct.
In Java, all classes derive from Object. In C++, classes have no common base.
In Java, all method and field definitions must be inside some class. In C++, you can also define functions and variables independently of classes (and in fact, you don’t need to define any classes at all to write a C++ program).
Java is defined by Sun. C++ is defined by an ISO (International Standards Organisation) standard.
Java has the final keyword and C++ has const. C++ gives you finer control, but that control can be overridden with a cast.
Using JNI, Java can call C++/C methods and vice versa.
In C++, your main method’s first argument is the name of the program that invoked it. In Java that is missing, largely because Java programs can be invoked in so many way there is usually no executable name that directly invoked it.
In C++ the main method is responsible for telling the OS (Operating System) about the error code as its return value. In Java, the main is void. Any method may call System. exit( retCode ).
That just scratches the surface.

Microsoft C++ Keywords

Microsoft C++ Keywords
__abstract	__int	__try_cast	delete	goto	property	true
__alignof	__int6	__unaligned	deprecated	if	protected	try
__asm	__int64	__unhook	dllexport	in	public	typedef
__assume	__int8	__uuidof	dllimport	initonly	ref	typeid
__based	__interface	__value	do	inline	register	typename
__box	__leave	__virtual_inheritance	double	int	reinterpret_cast	union
__cdecl	__m64	__w64	dynamic_cast	interface	return	unsigned
__declspec	__m8	__wchar_t	each	interior_ptr	safecast	using
__delegate	__m8d	abstract	else	literal	sealed	uuid
__event	__m8i	array	enum	long	selectany	value
__except	__multiple_inheritance	bool	event	mutable	short	virtual
__fastcall	__nogc	break	explicit	naked	signed	void
__finally	__noop	case	extern	namespace	sizeof	volatile
__finally	__pin	catch	false	new	static	wchar_t
__forceinline	__property	char	finally	noinline	static_cast	while
__gc	__raise	class	float	noreturn	struct
__hook	__sealed	const	for	nothrow	switch
__identifier	__single_inheritance	const_cast	friend	novtable	template
__if_exists	__stdcall	continue	friend_as	nullptr	this
__if_not_exists	__super	default	gcnew	operator	thread
__inline	__try	delegate	generic	private	throw

Microsoft C++ sizeof

The sizes of various data types is platform dependent in C++, however here is what they mean when developing for Microsoft Windows Vista C++.

sizeof various data types is Microsoft C++ for Windows Vista
C++ Type	Closest Java Type	Bytes	Bits	Notes
Boolean	Boolean	1	8	1-byte Boolean, defined as unsigned char.
BOOLEAN	Boolean	1	8	1-byte Boolean
byte	byte	1	8	unsigned
BYTE	byte	1	8	unsigned
char	byte	1	8	8-bit signed chars.
unsigned char	byte	1	8	8-bit unsigned chars.
TCHAR	char	2	16	Unicode 16-bit chars. On older systems compiles to 8-bit.
wchar_t	char	2	16	Unicode 16-bit unsigned chars
WCHAR	char	2	16	Unicode 16-bit unsigned chars
short	short	2	16	signed
USHORT	char	2	16	unsigned
int	int	4	32	signed
size_t	int	4	32	unsigned
BOOL	Boolean	4	32	4-byte Boolean
long	int	4	32	signed
DWORD	int	4	32	unsigned
void*	Object	4	32	Pointer/Reference
float	float	4	32	IEEE (Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers) float
long long	long	8	64	signed
double	double	8	64	IEEE double

See also the table of JNI types. I discovered the information for the above table by running the following C++ program. You can modify it to prepare a list of types and sizes for your C/ C++ projects.

C/C++ Header Libraries

To use a C/C++ method you need include its prototype in a header file. Here are some of the most common header files and what the roughly contain:

Common C/C++ header files
Header	Contents
afx.h	includes Windows API and common C headers too.
afxcmn.h	MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes) support for Windows Common Controls
afxdtctl.h	MFC support for Internet Explorer 4 Common Controls
afxext.h	MFC extensions
afxwin.h	MFC core and standard components
assert.h	assert
conio.h	getch, putch
ctype.h	isUpper, isLower, toUpper
direct.h	chdir, mkdir
dos.h	DOS (Disk Operating System) API
fcntl.h	open flags: O_RDONLY, _O_CREAT, _O_EXCL
io.h	_chsize, _chmod, _lseek
jni.h	Java JNI (Java Native Interface) library
mmsystem.h	playsound
process.h	exec, spawn
resource.h	generated to include resources
share.h	sharing flags: _SH_DENYRW, _SH_DENYWR, _SH_DENYRD, _SH_DENYNO, _SH_SECURE
stdafx.h	standard precompiled header
stdio.h	fclose, fgetc, printf, remove, rename, setvbuf
stdlib.h	exit, putenv, splitpath
string.h	strcpy, strcat, strcmp, strupr
sys\stat.h	read/write permissions: _S_IREAD, _S_IWRITE
tchar.h	16-bit chars, TCHAR
winbase.h	time structures: _FILETIME, _SYSTEMTIME
windows.h	Windows API

Compiling

MS Visual C++ Express 2010 aka Visual is free, but you might ask you to register, and you must use the IE (Internet Explorer) browser to do it. They ask you a ton of questions. The free version cannot generate 64-bit code, though I have heard you can kludge it by downloading the MS SDK (Software Development Kit) and running it from the command line. Visual Studio Pro (the cheapest version that can still generate 64-bit) will set you back $480.00 USD . I found the iso-image version (which includes various other languages) oddly installed more quickly overall since it does not need to download code during the install. It has a bug. You must arrange to put Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\ide\mspdb100.dll on the path. You can run X:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC\bin\vcvars32.bat to patch the environment to fix the problem. It inserts all manner of set parameters and adds many directories to your path. The normal Windows Update process updates Visual Studio 10.0.

You most commonly want to configure your project as a console application without precompiled headers. When you use the GUI, the most interesting options are in right click properties for both the project and source files.
You will normally want to right click Project Properties ⇒ General ⇒ Use of MFC ⇒ Use MFC in a Static Library
You will normally want to right click Project Properties ⇒ C++ ⇒ Precompiled Headers ⇒ Not using precompiled headers.
Sometimes it is easier to edit the *.vcxproj files with a text editor. It can be so hard to find the dialog in the GUI to control a field.
Right click Project Properties ⇒ C++ ⇒ General and set it to F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC\include;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDK s\Windows\v7.0A\Include;E:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jdk1.7.0_04\include;E:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jdk1.7.0_04\include\win32 to ensure JNI works.

The command line equivalents to your GUI options should look something like this for debug:

Microsoft C++ Express cl.exe Command Line Options
Debug	Release	Notes
/Od	/O2	debug or optimise for speed
	/Oi	intrinsic functions
	/GL	link time optimisation
/D "WIN32"	/D "WIN32"	32-bit windows app
/D "_DEBUG"	/D "NDEBUG"	debugging on not
/D "_CONSOLE"	/D "_CONSOLE"	command line, console app
/D "_UNICODE"	/D "_UNICODE"	no multibyte sequences
/D "UNICODE"	/D "UNICODE"	no multibyte sequence
/EHsc	/EHsc	Enable C++ exceptions
/RTC1		run time checks
/MTd	/MT	multi-thread library
	/Gy	function level linking
/Fo"Debug\\"	/Fo"Release\\"	where to put the object modules
/Fd"Debug\vc90.pdb"	/Fd"Release\vc90.pdb"	Program database
/W3	/W3	warning level
/Y-	/Y-	inhibit precompiled headers
/nologo	/nologo	no startup banner
/c	/c	compile without linking
/Zi		Debug format
/TP	/TP	compile as C++
/errorReport:prompt	/errorReport:prompt	prompt immediately

Microsoft Link link.exe Command Line Options
Debug	Release	Notes
/OUT:"E:\com\mindprod\splice\Debug\splice.exe"	/OUT:"E:\com\mindprod\splice\Release\splice.exe"	where exe file is generated
/INCREMENTAL:NO	/INCREMENTAL:NO	no incremental linking
/NOLOGO	/NOLOGO	no startup banner
/MANIFEST:NO	/MANIFEST:NO	no manifest
/DEBUG		debug or release
/PDB:"E:\com\mindprod\splice\Debug\splice.pdb"		Program database
/SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE	/SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE	command line console app
	/OPT:REF	optimise by removing unreferenced code
	/OPT:ICF	optimise by removing redundant ICFs
	/LTCG	link time code generation
/DYNAMICBASE	/DYNAMICBASE	randomised image base
/NXCOMPAT	/NXCOMPAT	DEP compatible
/MACHINE:X86	/MACHINE:X86	Windows hardware
/ERRORREPORT:PROMPT	/ERRORREPORT:PROMPT	display errors immediately
kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib comdlg32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib uuid.lib odbc32.lib odbccp32.lib	kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib comdlg32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib uuid.lib odbc32.lib odbccp32.lib	libraries

/FD means incremental rebuild. It is not a real command line option. You can safely delete compiler intermediate files: *aps *.ilk *.ipch *.ncb *.pbd *.pch. You must keep the *.sln *.suo *.vcproj *.user.

For command line use, you also need SET environment variables to help the compiler find the include libraries and the linker find the object libraries.

Redistributables

Microsoft Visual C++ needs a run time library called a redistributable package installed on the client machine. Alternatively you can create standalone exe files.

Costs

Microsoft Visual Studio Architect 2008 $1500.00 USD
Microsoft Visual Studio Enterprise 2008 $1300.00 USD
Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2008 $690.00 USD
Microsoft Visual Studio Standard 2008 $290.00 USD
Microsoft Visual Studio C++ Express 2010 free if you tell them information about yourself. Make sure you use the /MT option to statically link, otherwise your clients will need to install the C++ runtime library.

Books

recommend book⇒C++ For Java Programmers

by:

Mark Allen Weiss

978-0-201-61246-2

paperback

publisher:

Addison Wesley

published:

1999-04-02

This is the same title as Timothy A. Budd’s book. Note the direction. Most books presume you know C++ and need to learn Java. This one presumes you know Java and need to learn or brush up on C++ for doing JNI or related work.

Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock

recommend book⇒C++ For Java Programmers

by:

Timothy A. Budd

978-0-13-919424-5

paperback

publisher:

Prentice Hall

978-0-13-919424-5

hardcover

published:

2003-11-07

This is the same title as Mark Allen Weiss’s book. Note the direction. ost books presume you know C++ and need to learn Java. This one presumes you know Java and need to learn or brush up on C++ for doing JNI or related work.

Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock

recommend book⇒Beginning Visual C++ 6

by:

Ivor Horton

978-1-86100-088-0

paperback

publisher:

Wrox

published:

1998-08

A gentle, easy-paced introduction to C++.

Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock

recommend book⇒Accelerated C++: Practical Programming by Example

by:

Andrew R. Koenig, Barbara E. Moo

978-0-201-70353-5

paperback

(born: 1952 age: 59)

978-0-613-92046-9

hardcover

publisher:

Addison-Wesley

published:

2000-08-24

Recommended for people who know Java and want to learn C++.

Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock

recommend book⇒The Design and Evolution of C++

by:

Bjarne Stroustrup

978-0-201-54330-8

paperback

(born: 1950-12-30 age: 61)

publisher:

Addison-Wesley

published:

1994-04-08

This is a fascinating book about the birth of a new computer language C++. He talks about the politics, the compromises, and the factors that made him design C++ the way it is.

Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock

recommend book⇒The C++ Programming Language, third edition

by:

Bjarne Stroustrup

978-0-201-88954-3

paperback

(born: 1950-12-30 age: 61)

978-0-201-70073-2

hardcover

publisher:

Addison-Wesley

published:

1997-06-30

A reference manual for C++, rather formal. fourth edition due 2013-01-04.

Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock

recommend book⇒The Annotated C++ Reference Manual

by:

Margaret A. Ellis, Bjarne Stroustrup

978-0-201-51459-9

paperback

publisher:

Addison-Wesley

published:

1990-01-11

A book for language lawyers on the fine points of C++. It is not suitable for initially learning the language. It is really more aimed at compiler writers. It covers C++ implementation techniques including vtbls.

Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock

recommend book⇒Java Programming: Making the Move from C++

by:

Joe Wigglesworth and Paula Lumby

978-1-85032-922-0

paperback

publisher:

International Thomson Computer

published:

1998-07-21

Does not discuss anything past Java 1.1.

Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock

64-bit C++ under Windows
AMD C++ Open Source compiler for Linux
C
CD/DVD burning
const
File Types generated by Visual Studio C compiler
final
garbage collection
Java
JNI
List of free C++ compilers for various platforms
Table of JNI types
Visual C++ command line options
Visual C++ development centre
Visual C++ forums
Visual Studio 11 beta

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